The last year has seen its own set of drama good and bad in sport across The Garden State. From the excitement of The Super Bowl to the craziness surrounding the issues of Rutgers basketball, from the new ownership of the Devils to the disappointment of the Jets and Giants, from the return of the post-Sandy New Jersey Marathon to the Shore, to the folding of the Newark Bears, the Garden State fan has been on quite the roller coaster ride from 2013 to 2014. A long cold winter seems to finally be giving way to a slightly warmer spring, and with spring comes renewed hope that better things are on the horizon. The Red Bulls have started a new season, the state’s five remaining minor league baseball teams are ready to draw, and Rutgers is readying itself to make the jump to the Big Ten, all full of endless possibilities.
However come June, perhaps the biggest event full of possibilities, and one perhaps with the greatest impact for thousands, will finally make its way to the State. From Trenton to Newark, more than 3,500 Special Olympics athletes from throughout the United States will come to compete in 16 sports, before tens of thousands of spectators and volunteers in the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games for the first time.
It is the largest and most diverse of its kind ever, showcasing the athletes competing, but will also serving as a platform to expose to the largest media and brand audience possible all that Special Olympics does for the loves of thousands…programs in education, health and community building that have had transformative powers not just to those competing but to their families and friends and millions who know of the movement from what they have seen, heard and witnessed over the years.
From the Opening Ceremony at Prudential Center, through the Closing Ceremony at Sun National Bank Center, from a board-walk themed Olympic Town, a Special Olympics Unified Sports® Festival and competitions at venues throughout Mercer County, New Jersey, including Princeton University, Rider University, The College of New Jersey, Mercer County Park and several area private schools the event will help transform sport in the state, and hopefully make long-time supporters out of all who will be touched by the events.
The games continue to gain steam every week, with a never-ending stream of brands that are not just investing chartable and promotional dollars for the cause, but are also looking to leverage media and good will to grow consumer loyalty and maximize ROI. The latest will take place this Wednesday in Hamilton, when Special Olympics athletes, along with representatives from the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games, and partners ShopRite and General Mills to unveil a customized Wheaties box featuring a Special Olympics New Jersey athlete. The box will be sold exclusively at Shop Rite, and will serve as a great reminder to consumers that the games are coming and that these athletes represent much more than the sports they are playing. They represent hope, good will and the power of spirit.
There have been no shortage of partners coming to support the Games and their massive undertaking. Founding Partners like Prudential, Barnabas Health, Hess, PSE&G, Toys“R”Us and the WWE, along with ShopRite, PS E and G and 20th Century Fox have all stepped up to both engage and activate in various ways both locally and nationally. Broadcast and digital support has never been more diverse, and the use of social media will take the moments of these Special Olympics well beyond the playing fields and the stands, with a wide-spread infrastructure in place to serve the families and their legions of supporters around the world.
However even with all the corporate support, the Games are still in need of volunteers. Hopefully they will continue to come from thousands of young people looking to get involved in the global business of sport, who can gain some first-hand knowledge and do some amazing community service as volunteers in all areas of Games operations. So many young people now taking countless programs in sports management, marketing, journalism and communications from schools in the northern, central and southern parts of the state, as well as those in New York and Philly, can hopefully jump on a once in a lifetime opportunity to not only give of their time, but to be involved in a life changing work experience that can help define a career just starting out
Most importantly, the Special Olympics USA Games will be an amazing platform for the participants to enjoy and experience a global sporting event the likes of which are rarely seen here in our backyard. It will be a celebration of life whose impact will probably transcend anything that has gone on at Met Life Stadium or the Prudential Center or the RAC this past year, and will hopefully inject some much needed mojo into what has been a long, cold stretch for brand sport in many ways across The Garden State.
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